Revelation 1 May 24, 2009
Summer Sermon Series on The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Part 1
“Enter in Faith”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
Six years ago when I went for my annual two weeks of intensive study at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, I met a strong, faithful woman of God from Delaware. Since my graduation, John and I have shared dinner several times with this woman and her husband as they or we have traveled near each other’s homes. In fact several years ago, they came and worshipped here with us. This year, in the week before Easter, my friend called to see how I was doing. In that phone conversation, she told me that they were renting a house on the Outer Banks in North Carolina for three weeks after Easter; we were invited to join them for several days if we’d like to do so. We accepted their invitation. Nearly two weeks ago now, as we drove up the coast to find their rental house, it was interesting to see the wide array of homes along the way. The ocean air is not kind to oceanfront properties, and so we saw houses that looked pretty rough and in need of major attention, and we saw absolute mansions. We didn’t know what kind of a house we would be staying in as we drove north on highway 12.
Finally we came to the turn and started checking house numbers. “114. There it is,” I said. We saw our friends’ car parked under the stilted house, and we pulled in beside them. From the outside, the house looked pretty good. It wasn’t one of the over-the-top mansions, but certainly nothing under which we would be nervous parking our car. So, this was the place we would spend several days of a much-needed vacation. Sight unseen, we had committed to it. We prayed it would be what we needed to rest and recuperate.
As we entered the first floor where the bedrooms were, we began to relax. It was light, airy, and very comfortable. Why would we doubt God? He knew what we needed. He knows what we need before we know what we need. Then we went up to the second level – the living area. Almost a whole wall of glass revealed the greatest gift: On the lower level we heard it’s rolling rhythms, but now we saw it: God’s beautiful ocean – right there. And yes, there was even a third level in order to get an even greater sense of the expanse of the sea before us.
At first, even though we knew our friends would be there, we were a bit apprehensive to enter the unknown. But our faith was rewarded with exactly what we needed to continue the work God has called us to do.
Today, by faith we enter into The Revelation of Jesus Christ - the last book of the whole Bible. I have taken an informal survey over the last several days asking this question, “What do you think of when you hear the name of this biblical book?” These are some of your answers: “Hard to understand.” “Weird.” “Not sure what I think about it.” “Out there.” One of my family members said, “I don’t think preachers should preach on Revelation.” “Why?” I asked. “Because there are so many in church who won’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Joni Frey told me several weeks ago now about a bird that kept flying into her garage loft window. It comes in hard, hits the glass, bounces off, and then tries again. She said it had been doing this for weeks (maybe even months at this point).
I think for some of us, maybe for many Bible readers, we get to the book of Revelation, and we’ll get so far into it, and then (like that bird) we seem to hit the wall. We know there’s something in there that we want, but we can’t seem to get past a certain point. Some will wait a while and then try again, others just give up trying altogether.
But here’s the thing: If we’ve met Jesus, we know the one who gave the Revelation to the church, and because Jesus gave this book to the church, then he must have meant for it to be read, and if he means for it to be read, then I know that if we stay with him while we walk through it, sort of like John and I were able to see the ocean through that wall of glass, Jesus will reveal for us the expanse of God’s power, God’s glory, and God’s love in a way that he knows each one of us needs this summer.
And so, we enter into this journey of our study of the Book of Revelation by faith. We enter by faith. We enter with anticipation. How will we be changed so that we will be better equipped to do what God has called us to do (as individuals and as a congregation)? Let us pray:
Holy God, we praise you. We thank you. We bow before you, blessing your name. Thank you for giving us all that we need, and then giving so much more that all we can do to thank you is to worship by the way we live – revealing to the world your power to change a helpless sinner into the image of your son, Jesus. Open now for us that which we must see. Open the eyes of our heart. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’ve heard of preachers who spend years preaching through the book of Revelation. Years. In such a sermon series, each chapter is pulled apart into small bits, spending perhaps one whole Sunday interpreting something that has a whole section of a library dedicated to it. We’re not going to do that; I don’t sense a call to that intense of a study for us. What I do sense that I am being called to do as your pastor by the power of the Spirit, is to do what I can to remove the fears, the objections, and the hesitations that so many have expressed to me about this book. This is part of our Bible! Just like it is not okay to ignore the first part of the Bible, the Old Testament, (because as I hear some say Jesus wasn’t born yet in the OT, and we really just want to learn about Jesus so we’ll just read the New Testament) it is not okay to ignore the final words in this book just because they are different from what we’re used to reading.
This book was written somewhere between 60-95 A.D. It is written in what was a familiar style for first century readers. They were used to what we call apocalyptic writing and prophetic writing. Much of the Old Testament is prophetic writing: writing that intends to call people to repentance; writing that says, “This is what the Lord says you should be doing, and if you do it, this is what will happen; but if you don’t do it, that is what will happen.” Prophetic writing emphasizes your freedom and mine to make a decision for or against God’s instructions – clearly laying out the implications for our decisions.
Apocalyptic writing is different from prophetic writing in that it emphasizes not our freedom, but the freedom of God. Apocalyptic writing is more difficult to understand than prophetic writing; it is filled with hidden meaning, with some major upheaval, and with decisive action on God’s part. In the Greek, the first word of the book is apokalupsis – translated The Revelation. Again, first century readers would have been quite familiar with this style of writing. Just because we don’t “get it” as quickly as they might have, doesn’t mean this book is not as much for us as it was for them. So let’s be clear from the very start, along with our ancestors in the faith, that we’re entering into something that will stretch us and by God’s grace, take us to our knees in worship. Let us open our Bibles now to The Revelation.
Revelation 1
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
The words of this book come from Jesus, through an angel, to John (the same John who wrote the Gospel of John – who is the same John, the brother who James, the sons of Zebedee, who were called from their boat to follow Jesus.)
3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
I want to share with you Earl Palmer’s comments on the usage of the word ‘blessed’ here. Rev. Palmer is an author, the writer of several biblical commentaries, and is currently the pastor at National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. He writes, “”Blessed” in Greek means simply “happy,” but the Hebrew word from the Old Testament which lies behind this word in John’s mind is probably the word ashar, and its meaning is very interesting. In Old Testament usage, the two words for “bless” are barak which means to kneel or bow down before, and the second is ashar, which means to find the right pathway in the face of false pathways. It has to do with the discovery of meaning in the face of chaos. This is the principal intent of the word “blessed” in the Proverbs. Proverbs 3:13 states, “Happy [blessed] is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding.” This is true also in the Psalms. Psalm 1 states, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly – but his delight is in the law of the Lord.” John is making a profoundly Hebraic promise to us. We shall be on the right pathway when we derive the meaning of our life and the pattern of our living from the character of God, from His holy will. What is it that grants meaning to my life? What is it that blesses me with the true pathway in the face of tempting and false pathways? What is it that blesses me with hope in the face of dreadful dangers? John’s answer to that question is that the Word of God, as it has broken in upon the world in Jesus Christ, is that “blessed” pathway that makes sense and brings the wholeness of ashar. According to John, we are in the deepest sense blessed when we have discovered that meaningful path.” This may make us think a bit more as we say to someone, “May the Lord bless you.” May you know and walk the right pathway. 3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
The first century believers thought the time of Jesus’ return was near. Over the many centuries since, dates have been set, bank accounts have been closed by those who believed the time of Jesus’ return was at hand. But the much anticipated time came, and the time went – over and over again. Of course, in our lifetime, January 1, 2000 was a big letdown for a lot of people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We live each day as if it were our last, and each day as if there was a great future because of Jesus Christ.” Compared to all eternity – the time (whenever that time is), is near. We must always be ready – for no one but God knows the exact day or time when those clouds will part.
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: (this book is written specifically to the Church.) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Have you noticed the number 7 so far? In the Bible, the number 7 is the number of wholeness or completeness or fulfillment or even a sense of rest (the 7th day is the day of rest). So, with that understanding in mind, even though there were 7 actual churches to whom this book is written, the number 7 signifies that this book is written to the whole church everywhere in all times and in all places.
Lots of people wonder and speculate about the 7 spirits who are before the throne, but the most common conclusion is that the 7 spirits are not literally 7 spirits, but this is a way of speaking about the Holy Spirit, who is the fulfillment of God’s presence to the church. Next Sunday, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church – 7 Sundays after Resurrection Day!
John makes these 11 marvelous statements about Jesus Christ in this opening chapter in case the reader is not clear on Jesus’ resume. He is:
the author of grace and peace,
the faithful witness,
the first-born of the dead,
ruler of kings on earth,
the one who loves us
the one who has set us free from our sins by His blood,
the one who has made us a kingdom, priests, to His God and Father,
the one to whom belongs all glory and dominion forever,
the one who is coming again,
the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, the End, who is, who was, and who is to come,
the Almighty.
9I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John was probably what we would call a “senior adult” by the time he received the Revelation. Because of his continuing work of testifying about Jesus, teaching people everywhere both the promises in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of those promises in the New Testament writings, John was exiled to a small rocky 8 x 4 mile-island off the coast of Turkey to die, probably along with others, although whether he was with other exiles or alone on the island is never mentioned. I looked up Patmos on the Internet, and the first site I explored was a tourist site. Here’s what it advertised:
The Island of Apocalypse
For a truly sacred travel experience, make your way to Patmos (Jerusalem of the Aegean). It was on this island that St John wrote his divinely inspired Revelation the Apocalypse, the last book of the New Testament. Today it is a place of pilgrimage for both Orthodox and western Christians, as well as the more profane sun and sand worshippers. Instantly palatable, Patmos entices visitors to linger and to almost certainly return.
It is so ironic that nearly 2000 years later, the authors of this website talk about sun and sand worshippers in the same paragraph as John, the Revelation, and Patmos. This Revelation is all about worshipping – but as we will see – it reveals a God who comes harshly against those who worship anything other than Jesus Christ, who alone deserves all glory and dominion forever and ever.
10I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
These are real churches in the area now known to us as modern day Turkey. Also notice that John wrote that he heard a voice like a trumpet. We will see this a lot in this book, that John cannot find words to describe what he saw and heard, and so he will continually say, “I saw something like…” We have to remember it is not literal, but his words are his attempt to describe something obviously otherworldly – supernatural – something wonderfully Divine that is meant to challenge and encourage believers and persuade non-believers until Jesus returns.
12Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Most of the vision images we will read throughout the summer in this book are not interpreted for us as this one is. But obviously, God wants no mistakes here. Here’s what I understand: We have a lampstand like a table. Some of us have a bedside table that has a lamp on it. Could we call that table a lampstand? I think we could.
Jesus declared as written in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In Matthew 5:14-16, he proclaims, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In my mind, there are two ways to think about what it means that Jesus is standing in the midst of the seven lampstands which are the seven churches (both are biblical): 1) We (the church) are called to provide a solid, consistent witness to the light, who is Jesus. We are the lampstand for the light who is Jesus. 2) We (the church) are the light as Jesus shines through us (You’ve seen those end tables that actually have a lamp attached to them?!) Both interpretations clearly recognize where the light originates (where the power is): Jesus Christ! Without his power, the Church has no light but its own – a human-powered light that quickly fades.
This scripture also seems to indicate that each church might have an angel presiding over it. Remember from our study on Heaven that when God’s people leave this earth they do not become angels. They remain who they are with new bodies. Angels are a different kind of being created by God for special purposes. I don’t know what it means that there is an angel who presides over our church, but I know one thing: it brings me comfort to consider it. Seven angels, seven churches - remember that the number 7 indicates completeness/fulfillment/wholeness/rest – which then very logically takes us to this place of assurance:
No matter how broken the Church may seem, the Church will prevail. The Church will overcome. The people of God will see victory – not because of anything we’ve done – but because of what Jesus Christ has done – the one who is alive forever and ever and ever – and who assures us that we, who live for him are fully alive in Christ right now, and will live with him in eternity. He alone has the keys of Death and Hell. No one is snatching those keys out of his hand. He is over all, through all, and in all. He is the Alpha and the Omega. There is a Grand Design that cannot and will not be undone. Listen to this verse from the prophet Isaiah 14:26, “26I have a plan for the whole earth, for my mighty power reaches throughout the world. 27The LORD Almighty has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?”
On the final day of our sweet vacation at the ocean, I was walking along the beach listening to music, feeling the wind and watching the sparkle of the sun on the ever-moving waters. I thought, “man, it doesn’t get much better than this…” Then a song by Chris Tomlin came on entitled, “Let Your Mercy Rain.” Here are the words:
God, You have done great things
God, You give grace to the weak
And bless the brokenhearted
With a song of praise to sing
You reached down and lifted us up
You came running, looking for us
And now there's nothing
And no one beyond Your love
You're the overflow
You're the fountain of my heart
Let Your mercy rain
Let Your mercy rain on us
You're the faithful one
When the world's falling apart
Let Your mercy rain
Let Your mercy rain on us
How deep, how wide, how long,
how high is Your love ... is Your love
How deep, how wide, how long,
how high is Your love ... is Your love
Oh, God
Let it rain
As I looked at the ocean – that expanse of water – and pondered those words, I realized that this is my heart’s cry for us this summer – and I know that this is God’s heart for us as well – for we read it in his word in Ephesians 3, “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
This is my prayer as we enter by faith, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Summer Sermon Series on The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Part 1
“Enter in Faith”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
Six years ago when I went for my annual two weeks of intensive study at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, I met a strong, faithful woman of God from Delaware. Since my graduation, John and I have shared dinner several times with this woman and her husband as they or we have traveled near each other’s homes. In fact several years ago, they came and worshipped here with us. This year, in the week before Easter, my friend called to see how I was doing. In that phone conversation, she told me that they were renting a house on the Outer Banks in North Carolina for three weeks after Easter; we were invited to join them for several days if we’d like to do so. We accepted their invitation. Nearly two weeks ago now, as we drove up the coast to find their rental house, it was interesting to see the wide array of homes along the way. The ocean air is not kind to oceanfront properties, and so we saw houses that looked pretty rough and in need of major attention, and we saw absolute mansions. We didn’t know what kind of a house we would be staying in as we drove north on highway 12.
Finally we came to the turn and started checking house numbers. “114. There it is,” I said. We saw our friends’ car parked under the stilted house, and we pulled in beside them. From the outside, the house looked pretty good. It wasn’t one of the over-the-top mansions, but certainly nothing under which we would be nervous parking our car. So, this was the place we would spend several days of a much-needed vacation. Sight unseen, we had committed to it. We prayed it would be what we needed to rest and recuperate.
As we entered the first floor where the bedrooms were, we began to relax. It was light, airy, and very comfortable. Why would we doubt God? He knew what we needed. He knows what we need before we know what we need. Then we went up to the second level – the living area. Almost a whole wall of glass revealed the greatest gift: On the lower level we heard it’s rolling rhythms, but now we saw it: God’s beautiful ocean – right there. And yes, there was even a third level in order to get an even greater sense of the expanse of the sea before us.
At first, even though we knew our friends would be there, we were a bit apprehensive to enter the unknown. But our faith was rewarded with exactly what we needed to continue the work God has called us to do.
Today, by faith we enter into The Revelation of Jesus Christ - the last book of the whole Bible. I have taken an informal survey over the last several days asking this question, “What do you think of when you hear the name of this biblical book?” These are some of your answers: “Hard to understand.” “Weird.” “Not sure what I think about it.” “Out there.” One of my family members said, “I don’t think preachers should preach on Revelation.” “Why?” I asked. “Because there are so many in church who won’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Joni Frey told me several weeks ago now about a bird that kept flying into her garage loft window. It comes in hard, hits the glass, bounces off, and then tries again. She said it had been doing this for weeks (maybe even months at this point).
I think for some of us, maybe for many Bible readers, we get to the book of Revelation, and we’ll get so far into it, and then (like that bird) we seem to hit the wall. We know there’s something in there that we want, but we can’t seem to get past a certain point. Some will wait a while and then try again, others just give up trying altogether.
But here’s the thing: If we’ve met Jesus, we know the one who gave the Revelation to the church, and because Jesus gave this book to the church, then he must have meant for it to be read, and if he means for it to be read, then I know that if we stay with him while we walk through it, sort of like John and I were able to see the ocean through that wall of glass, Jesus will reveal for us the expanse of God’s power, God’s glory, and God’s love in a way that he knows each one of us needs this summer.
And so, we enter into this journey of our study of the Book of Revelation by faith. We enter by faith. We enter with anticipation. How will we be changed so that we will be better equipped to do what God has called us to do (as individuals and as a congregation)? Let us pray:
Holy God, we praise you. We thank you. We bow before you, blessing your name. Thank you for giving us all that we need, and then giving so much more that all we can do to thank you is to worship by the way we live – revealing to the world your power to change a helpless sinner into the image of your son, Jesus. Open now for us that which we must see. Open the eyes of our heart. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’ve heard of preachers who spend years preaching through the book of Revelation. Years. In such a sermon series, each chapter is pulled apart into small bits, spending perhaps one whole Sunday interpreting something that has a whole section of a library dedicated to it. We’re not going to do that; I don’t sense a call to that intense of a study for us. What I do sense that I am being called to do as your pastor by the power of the Spirit, is to do what I can to remove the fears, the objections, and the hesitations that so many have expressed to me about this book. This is part of our Bible! Just like it is not okay to ignore the first part of the Bible, the Old Testament, (because as I hear some say Jesus wasn’t born yet in the OT, and we really just want to learn about Jesus so we’ll just read the New Testament) it is not okay to ignore the final words in this book just because they are different from what we’re used to reading.
This book was written somewhere between 60-95 A.D. It is written in what was a familiar style for first century readers. They were used to what we call apocalyptic writing and prophetic writing. Much of the Old Testament is prophetic writing: writing that intends to call people to repentance; writing that says, “This is what the Lord says you should be doing, and if you do it, this is what will happen; but if you don’t do it, that is what will happen.” Prophetic writing emphasizes your freedom and mine to make a decision for or against God’s instructions – clearly laying out the implications for our decisions.
Apocalyptic writing is different from prophetic writing in that it emphasizes not our freedom, but the freedom of God. Apocalyptic writing is more difficult to understand than prophetic writing; it is filled with hidden meaning, with some major upheaval, and with decisive action on God’s part. In the Greek, the first word of the book is apokalupsis – translated The Revelation. Again, first century readers would have been quite familiar with this style of writing. Just because we don’t “get it” as quickly as they might have, doesn’t mean this book is not as much for us as it was for them. So let’s be clear from the very start, along with our ancestors in the faith, that we’re entering into something that will stretch us and by God’s grace, take us to our knees in worship. Let us open our Bibles now to The Revelation.
Revelation 1
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
The words of this book come from Jesus, through an angel, to John (the same John who wrote the Gospel of John – who is the same John, the brother who James, the sons of Zebedee, who were called from their boat to follow Jesus.)
3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
I want to share with you Earl Palmer’s comments on the usage of the word ‘blessed’ here. Rev. Palmer is an author, the writer of several biblical commentaries, and is currently the pastor at National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. He writes, “”Blessed” in Greek means simply “happy,” but the Hebrew word from the Old Testament which lies behind this word in John’s mind is probably the word ashar, and its meaning is very interesting. In Old Testament usage, the two words for “bless” are barak which means to kneel or bow down before, and the second is ashar, which means to find the right pathway in the face of false pathways. It has to do with the discovery of meaning in the face of chaos. This is the principal intent of the word “blessed” in the Proverbs. Proverbs 3:13 states, “Happy [blessed] is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding.” This is true also in the Psalms. Psalm 1 states, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly – but his delight is in the law of the Lord.” John is making a profoundly Hebraic promise to us. We shall be on the right pathway when we derive the meaning of our life and the pattern of our living from the character of God, from His holy will. What is it that grants meaning to my life? What is it that blesses me with the true pathway in the face of tempting and false pathways? What is it that blesses me with hope in the face of dreadful dangers? John’s answer to that question is that the Word of God, as it has broken in upon the world in Jesus Christ, is that “blessed” pathway that makes sense and brings the wholeness of ashar. According to John, we are in the deepest sense blessed when we have discovered that meaningful path.” This may make us think a bit more as we say to someone, “May the Lord bless you.” May you know and walk the right pathway. 3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
The first century believers thought the time of Jesus’ return was near. Over the many centuries since, dates have been set, bank accounts have been closed by those who believed the time of Jesus’ return was at hand. But the much anticipated time came, and the time went – over and over again. Of course, in our lifetime, January 1, 2000 was a big letdown for a lot of people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We live each day as if it were our last, and each day as if there was a great future because of Jesus Christ.” Compared to all eternity – the time (whenever that time is), is near. We must always be ready – for no one but God knows the exact day or time when those clouds will part.
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: (this book is written specifically to the Church.) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Have you noticed the number 7 so far? In the Bible, the number 7 is the number of wholeness or completeness or fulfillment or even a sense of rest (the 7th day is the day of rest). So, with that understanding in mind, even though there were 7 actual churches to whom this book is written, the number 7 signifies that this book is written to the whole church everywhere in all times and in all places.
Lots of people wonder and speculate about the 7 spirits who are before the throne, but the most common conclusion is that the 7 spirits are not literally 7 spirits, but this is a way of speaking about the Holy Spirit, who is the fulfillment of God’s presence to the church. Next Sunday, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church – 7 Sundays after Resurrection Day!
John makes these 11 marvelous statements about Jesus Christ in this opening chapter in case the reader is not clear on Jesus’ resume. He is:
the author of grace and peace,
the faithful witness,
the first-born of the dead,
ruler of kings on earth,
the one who loves us
the one who has set us free from our sins by His blood,
the one who has made us a kingdom, priests, to His God and Father,
the one to whom belongs all glory and dominion forever,
the one who is coming again,
the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, the End, who is, who was, and who is to come,
the Almighty.
9I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John was probably what we would call a “senior adult” by the time he received the Revelation. Because of his continuing work of testifying about Jesus, teaching people everywhere both the promises in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of those promises in the New Testament writings, John was exiled to a small rocky 8 x 4 mile-island off the coast of Turkey to die, probably along with others, although whether he was with other exiles or alone on the island is never mentioned. I looked up Patmos on the Internet, and the first site I explored was a tourist site. Here’s what it advertised:
The Island of Apocalypse
For a truly sacred travel experience, make your way to Patmos (Jerusalem of the Aegean). It was on this island that St John wrote his divinely inspired Revelation the Apocalypse, the last book of the New Testament. Today it is a place of pilgrimage for both Orthodox and western Christians, as well as the more profane sun and sand worshippers. Instantly palatable, Patmos entices visitors to linger and to almost certainly return.
It is so ironic that nearly 2000 years later, the authors of this website talk about sun and sand worshippers in the same paragraph as John, the Revelation, and Patmos. This Revelation is all about worshipping – but as we will see – it reveals a God who comes harshly against those who worship anything other than Jesus Christ, who alone deserves all glory and dominion forever and ever.
10I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
These are real churches in the area now known to us as modern day Turkey. Also notice that John wrote that he heard a voice like a trumpet. We will see this a lot in this book, that John cannot find words to describe what he saw and heard, and so he will continually say, “I saw something like…” We have to remember it is not literal, but his words are his attempt to describe something obviously otherworldly – supernatural – something wonderfully Divine that is meant to challenge and encourage believers and persuade non-believers until Jesus returns.
12Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Most of the vision images we will read throughout the summer in this book are not interpreted for us as this one is. But obviously, God wants no mistakes here. Here’s what I understand: We have a lampstand like a table. Some of us have a bedside table that has a lamp on it. Could we call that table a lampstand? I think we could.
Jesus declared as written in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In Matthew 5:14-16, he proclaims, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In my mind, there are two ways to think about what it means that Jesus is standing in the midst of the seven lampstands which are the seven churches (both are biblical): 1) We (the church) are called to provide a solid, consistent witness to the light, who is Jesus. We are the lampstand for the light who is Jesus. 2) We (the church) are the light as Jesus shines through us (You’ve seen those end tables that actually have a lamp attached to them?!) Both interpretations clearly recognize where the light originates (where the power is): Jesus Christ! Without his power, the Church has no light but its own – a human-powered light that quickly fades.
This scripture also seems to indicate that each church might have an angel presiding over it. Remember from our study on Heaven that when God’s people leave this earth they do not become angels. They remain who they are with new bodies. Angels are a different kind of being created by God for special purposes. I don’t know what it means that there is an angel who presides over our church, but I know one thing: it brings me comfort to consider it. Seven angels, seven churches - remember that the number 7 indicates completeness/fulfillment/wholeness/rest – which then very logically takes us to this place of assurance:
No matter how broken the Church may seem, the Church will prevail. The Church will overcome. The people of God will see victory – not because of anything we’ve done – but because of what Jesus Christ has done – the one who is alive forever and ever and ever – and who assures us that we, who live for him are fully alive in Christ right now, and will live with him in eternity. He alone has the keys of Death and Hell. No one is snatching those keys out of his hand. He is over all, through all, and in all. He is the Alpha and the Omega. There is a Grand Design that cannot and will not be undone. Listen to this verse from the prophet Isaiah 14:26, “26I have a plan for the whole earth, for my mighty power reaches throughout the world. 27The LORD Almighty has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?”
On the final day of our sweet vacation at the ocean, I was walking along the beach listening to music, feeling the wind and watching the sparkle of the sun on the ever-moving waters. I thought, “man, it doesn’t get much better than this…” Then a song by Chris Tomlin came on entitled, “Let Your Mercy Rain.” Here are the words:
God, You have done great things
God, You give grace to the weak
And bless the brokenhearted
With a song of praise to sing
You reached down and lifted us up
You came running, looking for us
And now there's nothing
And no one beyond Your love
You're the overflow
You're the fountain of my heart
Let Your mercy rain
Let Your mercy rain on us
You're the faithful one
When the world's falling apart
Let Your mercy rain
Let Your mercy rain on us
How deep, how wide, how long,
how high is Your love ... is Your love
How deep, how wide, how long,
how high is Your love ... is Your love
Oh, God
Let it rain
As I looked at the ocean – that expanse of water – and pondered those words, I realized that this is my heart’s cry for us this summer – and I know that this is God’s heart for us as well – for we read it in his word in Ephesians 3, “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
This is my prayer as we enter by faith, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Amen.
